Gates Chili graduate, a Virginia Beach police officer, killed in line of duty

GATES, N.Y. – A 2017 graduate of Gates Chili High School, Cameron Girvin, was one of two police officers killed in the line of duty in Virginia Beach late Friday night.

Officers Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, were fatally shot while attempting to pull over a blue Hyundai Sonata with expired plates, Virginia Beach Police Paul Neudigate said at a press conference on Saturday.

When the car failed to stop, officers pursued it to a cul-de-sac and approached the vehicle, Neudigate said. The driver, John McCoy, was “immediately argumentative” and initially refused to exit the vehicle at the officers’ requests, Neudigate added.

When McCoy, 42, eventually compiled, a struggle broke out between him and the two officers. During the altercation, McCoy allegedly drew a pistol and shot both officers, Neudigate said. McCoy shot both of the officers a second time while they laid on the ground wounded before driving off, Neudigate added.

Both officers were later pronounced dead at nearby hospitals, where they were surrounded by family and friends, the police chief said.

“I’m going to be quite honest. We’re all hurting,” Neudigate said. “We’ve got families that have lost a loved one in the prime of their life and they are completely devastated.”

In the hours after the killings, police found McCoy’s body in a Virginia Beach apartment complex.

Police said the suspect was found with a “gunshot wound to the head” they believe was “self-inflicted.”

The Gates Chili Central School District extended its condolences to the Girvin family.

“Our thoughts are with the Girvin family, his loved ones, and all who knew him. This loss is felt deeply within our school community, especially by those who had the privilege of knowing Cameron and his family. His father, Art Girvin, was a longtime bus driver for the district, making this tragedy even more personal for many in our Spartan community.”